Equipment and adaptations

 

The Lincolnshire Community Equipment Service (LCES) can provide equipment for you to use in your own home, to help you remain as independent as possible. Equipment can be provided for people of all ages including children with disabilities.

The equipment that LCES provide can be simple equipment such as walking frames and crutches to aid mobility. LCES can also provide more complex equipment such as beds, mobile hoists, and pressure care equipment.

To speak with someone about your equipment needs call the Lincolnshire County Council Customer Service Centre on 01522 782155.

You may be required to pay for equipment from LCES; this will depend on your individual needs and situation. More information is available on the Lincolnshire County Council Adult Care webpages regarding Adult Care Assessment and Eligibility.

Repair or return equipment

If your equipment needs repairing, you have concerns or issues with your equipment, or you no longer need your equipment, contact NRS Healthcare on 0345 1212031 or 0845 1212031. NRS Healthcare is the equipment provider for LCES.

Buying equipment yourself

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria or if you simply wish to buy equipment without having an assessment; you can do this directly yourself.

Equipment is also available in various shops (including mobility stores and some pharmacies). NRS Healthcare has a website called Safe + Well where you can find more information about ordering and trialling equipment.

Equipment

Access to simple aids for daily living via the Wellbeing Service

The Wellbeing Service makes it easy to access simple equipment that can make the world of difference to your home life.

A wide range of equipment is available to help make everyday life easier. This could be a perching stool in the kitchen to make it easier to prepare drinks or a chair raiser to make it easier to get up from your chair.

The Wellbeing Service can help you to choose the most suitable equipment. You can purchase your equipment through the Wellbeing Service, or they can support you to source equipment from other suppliers.

The Wellbeing Service can offer advice and guidance about minor adaptations. A minor adaptation is a small change to your home to make it easier for you to live in.

Minor adaptations include:

• grab rails and hand rails
• second banister rail - to make it easier to go up and down stairs
• simple alterations to enable easier access to and from your home.

To make a referral to the Wellbeing Service, call 01522 782140. The Wellbeing Service - Lincolnshire County Council

You can refer yourself to the occupational therapy service for an assessment if you require further advice and information.   The Occupational Therapy service can arrange a long term equipment loan if this is deemed appropriate through the Lincolnshire Community Equipment Service.

Adaptations to your home

The Occupational Therapy service can support you to arrange minor adaptations to your home such as fitting stair rails or half steps.

Adaptations can help you to stay safe at home by reducing the likelihood of falls and accidents around the home and to enable you to become more independent. During your assessment, we can look at how you move around your home and help you to identify adaptations and equipment that could improve access to and within your home.

Major adaptations

The Occupational therapy service can provide advice about major adaptations, either through self-funding or assessment of eligibility for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG).

An example of a major adaptation is a level access shower, stairlift or ramp.

Disabled Facilities Grants need a formal referral to be sent to your local council from a Lincolnshire County Council Occupational Therapist following an assessment of your needs. If you think that you may qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant you should contact Lincolnshire County Council Adult Care by telephone on 01522 782155.

You can find further information relating to DFG via Disabled Facilities Grants Overview- GOV.UK

 

 

Telecare is a service that helps you to remain independent and feel safer in your home. The monitoring service will contact a family member, a carer, or the emergency services if you sound the alarm to say you need help.

Telecare can be used to support older people, those with long term physical or mental health conditions, or disabilities. Telecare can tell when there is an emergency in your home and when you need assistance. It uses a range of sensors to alert the local monitoring centre 24 hours a day. Some sensors are designed to wear and some are designed to be placed in the home.

How it works

Step 1:

The telecare base unit is linked to a monitoring centre through your telephone line. It is activated by either pressing the pendant or via one of the Telecare sensors.

Step 2:

The alert is picked up by an operator at the monitoring centre, where they can see all the information they need about your situation.

Step 3:

The telecare base unit has a microphone and built-in speaker so the operator can easily communicate with you.

Step 4:

The operator will arrange assistance and organise help if required. They will do this by calling your named emergency contacts or the emergency services.

The benefits of telecare

The benefits of telecare are:

• reassurance and peace of mind for you and your carer
• a greater feeling of security
• reduced feeling of isolation
• more independence and freedom
• rapid response in the event of an emergency
• being able to live in your own home for longer

Who can get telecare?

Telecare is a service for people aged 18 and over who live in Lincolnshire and have a physical disability, mental health issue, learning difficulty, a long term illness, or physical frailty due to age.

From 1 April 2018, the cost of the telecare monitoring service provided by the council’s supplier, NRS Telecare, for new users of the service will be £45 for the installation of the equipment and £2.95 plus VAT for the ongoing loan and monitoring of the equipment, for a basic package of a base unit and pendant.

This will ensure that where equipment is faulty, needs repairing or replacing, that this is undertaken accordingly If you do not have a named ‘responder’ (carer or family member etc.), the Wellbeing Response Service can be accessed for an additional cost of £2.50 per week.

This service is delivered by the Wellbeing Service, you can call our Customer Service Centre on 01522 782140 for further information.

To get telecare services you will need to contact NRS Telecare directly via either their website or over the phone 0344 893 6962 to place your order.